There’s a historical-period charm to old Ewa Town, which was one of the few plantation villages to have some real civic design.

But charm will only take you so far. Varona Village long ago had lapsed into near-ruin, with houses blighted or abandoned speckling the area. The remaining residents have awaited promised repairs for years.

The city ultimately took over ownership of the residences, and in its most recent "better late than never" show of good faith, the City Council has allotted $500,000 in its capital improvements budget for Varona repairs.

That’s a first step, but only one. The neighbors had better keep the pressure on — or this may wind up in the "never" pile of city projects, after all.

An executive decision to live to 125

Jiroemon Kimura of Japan died Wednesday, having been recognized as the world’s oldest man in recorded history at age 116, but 90-year-old David Murdock of Dole Food Co. riches plans to live to be 125. The oldest person on record was a French woman who died in 1997 at age 122.

"I never have anything go wrong," billionaire Murdock told The two years ago. "Never have a backache. Never have a headache. Never have anything else." He eats lots of fruits and vegetables, seafood, egg whites, beans and nuts, but avoids red meat and poultry.

Murdock, who owns 40 percent of Dole and is its chairman and CEO, now is offering to buy the other 60 percent at $12 a share, valued at more than $1.5 billion. Quite a visionary play at any age, let alone at age 90.